Actors, Roles and Resemblance

Copperfox

Copperfox

Well-known member
Any given actor may have a particular type of character whom he or she portrays repeatedly, and any given actor may be very close in type to another actor.

In the black-and-white movie era, Bela Lugosi not only played Dracula, but once also played a vampire who WASN'T Dracula. In the Fifties and Sixties, Fess Parker acted as two historical heroes who were very similar to each other: Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone. More recently, Roger Moore played "The Saint" before he took on the role of James Bond.

Similarities of actors to actors may assume a sort of hierarchy. Glamour girl Ursula Andress was of exactly the same type as Raquel Welch, but Miss Welch enjoyed far more long-lasting fame. Later, when Julia Roberts was at her peak of popularity, another actress turned up who looked very much like Miss Roberts. This woman, Monica Potter, played similar parts, but in less prominent films. Monica Potter was like a discount-store version of Julia Roberts.

Henry Fonda was an A-list actor for clean-cut manly-man roles. His less-famous counterpart was Glenn Ford, and FORD'S less-famous counterpart was TV actor William Windom.

 
If you peruse the list of roles played by any actor, the common element may not be a matter of playing likeable or unlikeable characters. The element may be a matter of distinct personality traits, which determine the WAY in which their characters are good OR evil.

Maureen O'Hara, who was a strong, dignified lady in real life, brought her strength to the parts she played. She was perfect as the opposite number to John Wayne-- equally so if her character was in the wrong or in the right. If cast as an obnoxious character, Maureen's force of personality made you dislike her (as that character) all the more, so that you WANTED her to be humiliated as she deserved. (She never played a part that made you want her character to DIE.) If cast as a sympathetic heroine, her controlled intensity made you respect her; made you desire all the more that she should come out on top in the end.

Bringing this closer to home for young Narnia fans: consider Tilda Swinton.

Years after the last time Tilda acted as Jadis, Marvel Studios gave her a chance to be on the side of good. As a gender-swapped version of Doctor Strange's mentor "The Ancient One," she delivered a stern coolness much like that of her villain portrayal; but now her coolness was part of her determination to help save the world. If Aslan had been a character in the Marvel movies, Tilda as The Ancient One would have shown us what it would be like for Jadis to be LOYAL AND OBEDIENT to the Creator.
 
An important character in a TV show or a series of movies should never be eliminated solely because the actor dies or quits.

When Claudia Christian left "Babylon Five," the TNT network eliminated her character of Susan Ivanova, who was a huge favorite with viewers. Then they introduced the character of Elizabeth Lockley, who was hugely UN-likeable. The heck of this is that Tracey Scoggins, who was cast as Lockley, would have done a very good job as Ivanova ; then the beloved character would still have been there.
 
So, there are some characters in TV shows that I would disagree with you on that. Specifically, characters like Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs would be difficult to recast. It is better to leave off the character than try to cast someone in the same role. It really depends on what type of show.
 
To be sure, there are instances like yours. Enough to say that OFTEN an actor can be replaced.

One character who COULD HAVE been recast is T'Challa the Black Panther. An immediate candidate comes to mind. Aldis Hodge, who plays Hawkman in "Black Adam," would have been fully suitable, no pun intended, as T'Challa.
 
Although I liked the movie, I was very disappointed when they 'killed off' T'Challa when Chadwick Boseman died. (I think you understand why Black Panther is my favorite Avenger, and perhaps the only Avenger I have truly liked.) As much respect as I have for Mr. Boseman, I suspect the role could have easily been replaced. Although they may have chosen to do this to honor Mr. Boseman, I have a funny feeling he would want his character to continue to be portrayed by another actor.

There seems to be a thing in movies about bringing characters back in sequels, even though they don't fit. We have seen this in the Narnia films with Tilda Swinton/Jadis. The new Avatar movie is full of it-- especially bringing back the spitting image of Colonel Miles Quaritch. I think in the case of Avatar though, James Cameron is working towards a story arc that spans several films, without them being direct continuations of the previous films (like the last pair of Avengers movies were clearly parts 1 and 2). If anyone can pull this off, James Cameron can.

Speaking of Avatar, a good example of an actor who fits a particular genre well fits a genre well is Zoe Saldana. She plays Neytiri in Avatar, Uhuru in the Star Trek universe, and Gamora in Gurdians of the Galaxy/Avengers. She's a good sci-fi actor, She also uas the distinction of being the only actor to speak two major conlangs in two different movie storylines, and do it well. She speaks Na'vi in Avatar and Klingon in the Star trek universe.

A contrasting example of an actor who can play dissimilar roles as Arnold Scwartzenhegger. He plays a number of 'tough guy' roles in Sci-fi and action/adventure films. But he also did a fine job in 'Jingle All The Way', a comedy. Even there though, his 'tough guy' demeanor was noticeable. (And we also found out he can play 'Governor' as well ;) )
 
Good entry, Timba. Chadwick Boseman's family CONFIRMS that he wanted his CHARACTER still to be alive. But the Disney Marvel activists couldn't be satisfied with "only" having Scarlet Witch, Gamora, Captain Marvel, America Chavez, Female Thor, Female Loki, Female Ancient One and She-Hulk be superior to men; it was just ever-so-necessary ALSO to have a female Black Panther, or else all women everywhere would be locked up in kitchens by the patriarchy.

And yes, it was forced and awkward bringing Jadis back for two more Narnia films.
 
I have a series of Black Panther comic books where the X-Men character Storm was Black Panther. It's not entirely unprecedented. The question of Marvel characters who are female being superior to their male counterparts is something I will not dive into more than this: Some are already superior in the comics, and have been for decades. Others are not. Some are equal in power, they're just in the limelight.

That said, going to the point about characters dying because of the actors: The Simpsons cartoon has a history of this. Troy McClure, Edna Krabappel, etc.
 
1) As I showed, the comic-movie scene is already SWAMPED with super-duper-women. It is high time, at least, for scriptwriters to quit pretending that their latest invincible goddess is a daring innovation. (Your observation that there've been superior women in comics for decades proves MY point, that writers today need to quit pretending that "only now" are women in stories "finally" allowed to be strong.)

2) Chadwick Boseman's wishes ought to have been respected. The character of Shuri ALREADY WAS depicted as uber-awesome, without needing to take away the Black Panther mantle.

3) I'm told that "Wakanda Forever" says T'Challa would not have died of his illness, if he had not been TOO PROUD to ask Shuri for help. If that in fact is what they wrote for the movie, it is majorly adding insult to injury.
 
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True... but while that has long been the case in the comics... the movie world has always been a bit backwards. I think right now is a bit of an over-correction, but I think it might need to do that, before the pendulum swings back the other direction. Eventually it will merge into something of a mix. Afterall, those characters will be able to fight alongside the others. Not necessarily Black Panther, but either way, Black Panther is a title. I'm sure it will pass to a male character again in the future. It wasn't the plan to have it pass to anyone this soon. If Chadwick Boseman was still here, Black Panther 2 would have been very different.
 
It can be startling when an actor steps OUT OF character.

Jimmy Stewart almost invariably played likeable good guys. Richard Widmark often played villains; and when he played a good guy, he played a HARD-EDGED good guy. So some studio had the inspiration to cast both men in a movie where they would act AGAINST TYPE.

If I remember correctly, this Western was titled "Two Rode Together." Both men were good guys...... but Mr. Stewart's character was the hard-edged one, while Mr. Widmark's character was a lovable Teddy bear.
 
A similar thing happens in music. Bon Scott, the first lead singer for AC-DC, sadly died young. So the surviving band members wanted a replacement who sang in a similar style as Bon, and they chose Brian Johnson.
 
Brian declines to sing "It's a long way to the top (if you want to rock and roll)" even though it is AC/DC's most famous song because it is so closely associated with Bon. He calls it "Bon's Song".
 
Sometimes movie or TV characters will display some talent or skill which is outside their usual wheelhouse.

In the old Western programs "The Lone Ranger" and "The Cisco Kid," it was normal for the heroes and their adversaries to fight either with guns or with bare fists. But Cisco and Lone Ranger each had one episode in which they fought successfully WITH SWORDS.

Perhaps even more remarkably, in one DC Comics animated production, Batman performed excellently AS A NIGHTCLUB SINGER.
 
It can happen that attempting to replicate a character type leads to a completely unexpected effect.

In the Sixties, NBC-TV tried to transfer the James Bond spy-mystique to the small screen. They cast Robert Vaughn as a Bond-like hero, and he played his part very well. But by no fault of his, he ended up getting overshadowed by his co-star: David McCallum, playing a Russian who had defected from the Soviet Union. Nobody DISLIKED Vaughn, but McCallum attracted more fan attention.
 
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